Jennifer Forsberg, (b. 1970) living and working in the south of Sweden. Her work has been described as raw and direct, but also as poetic and multilayered. Her practice includes both large scale site specific public art commissions and studio work for exhibitions and galleries. She often works in a narrative way, where the physical behavior of the materials mix with well-known forms and attributes. Forsberg holds an MFA in ceramics from HDK at the University of Gothenburg.

Vägen 2022

Film and raw clay sculpture

Vägen is a film and a sculpturalinstallation taking inspiration from the notion of physical labour and
the memory of an era in the ceramicindustry of Bromölla. The fact that the workers used to dig, clean, refine,pack, and ship the kaolin clay from theisland of Ivö to the factories withoutmuch help from machines is almostincomprehensible for a person of todayliving in Sweden. The work inside thefactory was hot, dusty, monotonous andthey were working long hours.

The memory of this era is so present inthe town and in the surrounding nature.I imagine the sounds, movements, andthe silent mass of bodies inside andoutside the big factory buildings.

This memory exists also in my ownbody. I am myself a clay artist, havingembodied experiences of carrying,wedging, moving and forming clay.Through my experiences combined withthe strong impressions from the site Iwanted to take a closer look at how theprocess feels.

I have explored this by rowing the sameway the clay was shipped from the IvöIsland to Bromölla, by recreating a walkthrough the town together with people,and by rolling thousands of smallclayballs.

Photos by Tina Stridfeldt

Films by Filip Tell